Pet access doors provide an opening, usually equipped with a swinging flap, through which pets can leave or enter a home or other building. In order to allow a means of passage for a pet through a sliding glass patio door, the movable patio door must be left ajar by sliding the movable door away from the patio door frame. The majority of pet access doors manufactured for sliding glass patio doors consist of a rectangular panel designed to fill the opening created when the sliding glass patio door is ajar. Generally sliding glass patio door pet access doors are constructed of a glass panel in the upper portion and a swinging flap pet portal in the lowermost portion encased in an aluminum frame. The pet door panel is installed in the opening in the patio door created when the movable patio door is left ajar. After installation, the movable patio door is closed by sliding it against the pet door panel to prevent air and insect infiltration into the interior space of the building. When configured in this manner the movable door of the sliding glass patio door no longer engages the catch mechanism in the normally adjacent patio door frame as the pet door panel when installed prevents engagement. Most pet door panels manufactured for sliding glass patio doors are supplied with a locking mechanism to prevent the movable patio door from being opened unintentionally as by a child or intruder. All locks supplied with pet door panels for sliding glass patio doors require drilling into the patio door and/or tools to complete the installation, if a patio door lock is supplied at all. Some patio door pet door panel suppliers simply advise the consumer to cut a length of material like a wooden dowel to fit between the patio door frame opposing the trailing edge of the movable patio door and the trailing edge of the movable patio door. The dowel is then dropped into the lower channel of the patio door between the opposing patio door frame and the trailing edge of the movable patio door to prevent the patio door from being opened unintentionally. These types of patio door locks are inconvenient to either install or use and in some cases may void the patio door manufacturer's warrantee. Most of the locks or when necessary cut dowels are not adjustable, therefore, the movable sliding patio door cannot be sealed against the pet door panel with too much pressure since it will be too difficult for the lock or dowel to be removed to open the movable sliding patio door. Similar locking problems relate to sliding glass windows.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a portable adjustable sliding window and/or door lock that requires no drilling or tools and is easy to install and use for sliding glass patio doors configured for use with pet door panels. Also, the adjustability of the patio door lock permits use with any patio pet door panel currently on the market while providing superior sealing capability.